Saving Grace
by xjenicaleigh
Summary: A story about a boy who sees reality in his dreams. Before they come true. ;; Can someone help me? I don't really know where to go with this. I have a few ideas, but then I'm going to get stuck. Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. -Jenica


Jenica Cole

12-15-08

**Saving Grace**

My name is Christian. I am a Junior in highschool, at South Burlington High School. There's a purpose to this story, so hold on. I'll get to it. I'm pretty sure it all started with this dream I had. It was the most vivid and realistic dream I have ever had. You see, I usually had dreams about things that would never happen. So in this weird dream, I walk into a house that I had never even seen before, and witness the abuse of some girl, who I had never met before. And usually, I would just forget about that type of thing, but I felt like it had some meaning.

So I keep thinking about it, and go to school. As I'm walking down the hall, I see out of the corner of my eye, the same girl from my dream. I think to myself, _This is one of the weirdest things that has ever happened to me. How can I have a dream about someone I have never even met? _

I walk up to my best friend, Jacob, and said while pointing her out, "Who is that girl right there? Why have I never seen her before?"

"I dunno. She's new. I think her name is Grace, but I can't be sure. Why don't you ask her?" Jacob suggested.

"No, that would be weird." I explained.

"Why do you want to know anyway...?" Asked Jacob.

"... No reason." I said as I walked away.

So, I went to my math class. I walked down the hall, and turned into the room. I sat down and watched a croud of people storm in just before the bell rang. After the stampede was over, the girl walked in. There was only one available seat, and guess who it was next to? Me. Finally, this was my chance to get to know her name, and maybe, possibly be her friend! She sat down, and got her math book out. I looked at her for a moment, remembering my dream., and then I said.

"Hi, my name is Christian. What's yours?"

She sat there silently, and then said, "My name is Grace..." hesitant to tell me.

"You just moved here, didn't you? Where'd you move from?" I asked, trying to spark a conversation in hopes that we would become good friends as the year went on.

"Yes, I'm new. I moved from California." She said as she looked away from me.

"Oh, that's cool. I went there for vacation once..." I said, still trying to make a conversation.

"Cool..." She said as she started the math assignment.

"Yeah..." I said with a sigh, as I too, started the math assignment.

I went through my day, just thinking about that one girl... _Grace... _I thought, _What a pretty name, to go with such a pretty face... _At the end of the day, I went home, and started on my homework. I accidentally fell asleep, and I had another dream about her. It was based on the same thing. Grace, being abused. I still couldn't see the abusers face, it was too blurry. The one thing I do remember, was the cut she had on her right arm. When I woke up, I thought... _I can't have another dream about her, in the same situation with different injuries. How is this possible?! _

I finished my homework, ate dinner, took a shower, and went straight to bed. I don't remember having a dream that night. Maybe it's a once a day thing. Either way, I thought it was pretty bizarre. I got up, and it was a regular morning. I brushed my teeth, got dressed, ate breakfast, and checked my email, before going to the bus stop. When I went to the bus stop, no one else was there. Which I thought was weird, because I'm usually the last one, and even I was running a little bit late. The bus came, and still, only I got on the bus. Other than those annoying underclassmen, I was the only one that was a Junior, so I got stuck talking to them. I guess I could have been silent the whole time, and not talked to anyone… but I chose to not be un-social

When I got to school, I saw Christian, "Dude, why weren't you on the bus today? You left me with those little kids."

"I'm sorry, my mom wanted to 'talk' with me, and I ended up missing the bus. How bad was it?" He explained.

"Not bad I guess, but those kids are so annoying!" I exclaimed.

So as my day went on, I tried to forget about that dream, but it just couldn't happen… I don't exactly know why. But either way, it was impossible. I promised myself that me and this girl would become friends. So I persisted talking to her until one day she gave in, and we talked for a whole math class. I'm surprised we didn't get caught, we were so loud. We talked about our families, although she didn't mention anything about being abused. But even if she was, I doubt she'd tell me. And then I saw it. There was a scar, on her arm… her right arm. I tried to think it was a coincidence, but I couldn't convince myself. After a while, I asked her where she got it, and her reply was.

"Oh, that. I'm just a klutz, that's all. It happens all the time, see?" As she showed me all of the other scars. All on her legs, arms, and one on her face, although the one on her face was highly unnoticeable.

So our lives went on. My dreams stopped for a awhile. But then they came back, worse than they were before. Now even I cried in the dream. But I only cried in my dreams, of course. I mean, she is my friend. I can't just let it happen, am I right? And in case that wasn't all bad enough, she stopped coming to school for days at a time, and when she showed up she was hurt. She had many bruises on her arms, and some even on her face. How can the school let that go unnoticed? I just don't get it. Really, I don't.

I went up to her, and said. "What happened to you? I haven't seen you in almost a week, and when you come back you're hurt. Do you consider this another one of your accidents? It looks like someone hit you! Can you be honest with me?"

"Christian, I can't say anything. If I do, it'll only cause more trouble. Is that what you really want for me? I'm sorry, but unless you want me gone, you will have to just not know a thing."

"But Grace… You… I can't let his happen." I said as my voice started to break. "I just can't. Please let me help you. I'll make sure you stay at this school. I promise. But I can't keep this a secret. Can you tell me one thing though?"

"It depends on what you want to know. I told you, I'm not saying much."

"…Can you tell me how long it has been going on? Or is that too much?"

"All I can say is that it has been quite some time. It's the reason my parents divorced…two years ago."

"Grace… You don't mean that he did this to your mother too, right? Did she know it was happening to you? You could have gone with her, and had a way better life than you have here. Why are you letting things like this happening to you?"

"Christian! If I told you, you just wouldn't understand. You would think I was too weird or something. And I like you. So I'm definitely not telling you something that would make you want to not talk to me anymore. I really… really… really… like you. And that is more than a friend, Christian."

"Well, that's sort of a relief. Because, Grace… I think I'm falling in love with you… nothing you tell me now is going to scare me away. You shouldn't worry about things like that."

"… That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." And then she kissed me. "I didn't tell my mother, or anyone else for that matter, because I had dreams about… you… and I had a feeling that I'd fall in love with you when I moved here. The reason that I didn't talk to you at first was because I was trying to figure out if you were the one from my dreams… and Christian, you are. I didn't want to tell you about everything… because I wanted to stay with you."

"… I don't really know what to say, because I… had dreams about you, too. I guess fate wanted us to be together… huh?"


End file.
